Politics

N. Korea Positive about Putin's Invitation of Kim Jong-un

The Russian Foreign Ministry has revealed that the North Korean government responded positively to President Vladimir Putin's invitation to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Moscow in May.

Responding to KBS' inquiry at a news conference on Wednesday, Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the North's response to an invitation to an event marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.

Lavrov said that leaders from 20 nations, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, accepted the offer. While saying North Korea is positive about the issue, the Russian top diplomat fell short of further specifying if Pyongyang had officially accepted the invitation.

Kim's envoy Choe Ryong-hae visited Moscow in November and delivered a letter from Kim to Putin. Choe, widely regarded as the second in command in the North, also sat down with the Russian Foreign Minister to discuss the possibility of holding a bilateral summit.

The Kremlin’s spokesman said last month that the Russian president extended his invitation to the North Korean leader. If Kim visits Moscow in May, it would be his first visit to a foreign state since officially taking over the reclusive regime.